The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, and more particularly to such an apparatus capable of detecting a medium loading failure.
Conventionally, there has been known an image recording apparatus of the type in which a photosensitive pressure-sensitive recording medium is used for forming a latent image corresponding to an image of an original document. The recording medium used therein is an elongated, web-like member and is accommodated in a medium cassette in a rolled state. The medium cassette is loaded in an upper portion of the recording apparatus. The recording medium is drawn from the cassette for image exposure and wound around a take-up roller disposed in a lower portion of the apparatus. It such type of the recording apparatus, when a predetermined number of copies are made, the remaining recording medium is automatically wound up around the take-up roller, and the user is instructed to replace the old cassette with a new one. The replacement of the medium cassette also needs the replacement of the take-up roller.
When the new medium cassette is loaded, the leader portion of the recording medium needs to be attached to the take-up roller. This is done in such a way that the leader portion of the recording medium is automatically pulled out of the cassette and the recording medium is fed a predetermined length along a medium conveyance path to allow the leader portion thereof to be attached to the take-up roller. After this procedure is ended, the operator checks whether the medium loading is adequately performed. If a medium jam occurs, he removes the medium and performs the medium loading again.
However, since the occurrence of the medium jam is not checked until the recording medium is fed the predetermined length, it is difficult for the operator to find the medium loading failure at an early stage. If the medium loading failure is recovered after the medium has been erroneously introduced into a different path or wound around a roller during the medium loading, a long time and a great deal of labor are required for recovery. Further, even if a failure is such a nature that the leader portion of the recording medium is not pulled out of the cassette, this failure cannot be found until a prescribed period of time has elapsed from the feeding of the recording medium.